Method of molding ornamental panels



June 3o, 1942. A* N, WARD 2,288,559

METHOD OF MOLDING ORNAMENTAL PANELS Filed May 21, 1940 fig! INVENTOR.

Patented June 30, 1942 METHOD F MOLDING OBNAMENTAL I PANELS Albert NealWard, Portland, Maine Application May 21, 1940, Serial No. 336,480

`2 Claims.

My invention relates broadly to ornamentation, and more particularly tothe creation of decorative designs in plaster and similar plasticmaterials and the production of ornamental panels having surface designsof infinite variety.

Itis well known that plaster hasin late years replaced wood in buildingconstruction not only for wall surfaces but also in numerous fittings,

such as doors, baseboards, shelves,` brackets, re# place mantels, capsfor pilasters, columns, draft rails for theaters and standing finish.lBeing semi-fireproof and` resistant to the elements, plaster is favoredas a finishing material, and it is desirable to further its use thereforto provide a simple, economical and rapid method for ornamenting thesurface of the plaster. The use of molds to accomplish suchornamentation re- `quires care in the execution of the work whichinvolves not only special skill on the part of the workman but also theexpenditure of substantial ,time in the production of each unit.

Onevof the objects of my invention `is to pro- Figure 1 is a plan viewof a plain box mold provided with a sheet of material of a character tobe defined, ready to receive the semi-fluid plastic material inaccordance with the practice vide a method of ornamentation, moreparticularly in plaster; which is simple and economical in itsexecution, requires no special skill, and results in the vproduction ofaninnite variety of designs wholly without. special dies or molds.

'Another object of my invention is to provide "a" method of producing anornamental placque,

the surface of whichv bears a variegated design especially` adaptablefor use in standing finish, panels and doors,r as an improvement overthe flat finish usually provided.

A 'further object of my invention is to provide a method forornamentation in plaster and like materials which are initially in asemi-'fluid state, becoming hard and solid through the action of naturalforces over a short period of time; the method of my invention utilizesan element i of a material that is acted upon by the plastic materialwhile inr thesemi-iiuid state to `eiect a distortion or 'deformation'thereof, which distortionswortdeformations constitute the design thesurface of the hardened, solid mass.

Still another object of my invention is to provide apparatus forpracticing the method of my invention, which includes particularly anelement of such composition as to be acted upon by a mass of semi-1iuidplastic material in order to provide a unique ornamentation of thematerial during the period of hardening.

Other and further objects of my invention reside in the methods andapparatus hereinafter described with reference to the accompanyingdrawing, in which:

of my invention in one embodiment; Figure 2 is a vertical sectional viewtaken on line 2-2 in Figure l, and indicating the introduction of theplastic material into the box mold; Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure2, showing the plastic material after hardening; Figure 4 is a plan viewof the hardened material removed from the box mold with thedesign-producing sheet thereon; Figure 5 is a, vertical sectional viewtaken on line 5-5 in Figure 4; Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 4with the sheet removed to reveal the ornamented surface; and Figure 7 isa vertical sectional view' taken onv line 'lhl in Figure 6. Figure 8 isa plan view of a mold showing the sheet 4 under tension prior toapplying the plastic material. Figure 9 is a longitudinal cross sectionof Figure 8.

The drawing illustrates-my invention in reference to the production of apiacque or panel such as may be applied as a unit to a frame structureby any suitable means, as by nails or screws through holes which may beprovided,

'by an adhesive binder such as shellac, varnish or glue, or by a freshplaster or cement spread on the surface to be finished, as will beunderstood by those skilled in the art.

1 Referring to the drawing in more detail, reference character I,Figures 1-3, indicates a box `wa`y of example, the introduction of asemi- "fluid plastic material 5 into the mold I by pouring from acontainerat 16. Figure 2`especially shows that as the plastic materialis rst introduced into the mold, the sheet 4 is substantially smooth andwithout surface configurations such as would produce a design ofpredetermined character in the material. In Figure 3, the material 5 isshown after hardening in the mold I, with the sheet 4 crinkled,distorted and other-y wise deformed, such action having taken placeduring the hardening of the material 5.

The panel is then removed from the mold, with the sheet 4 adheringthereto, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, after which the sheet 4 is removedto reveal the ornamented surface of the panel. The finished unit isrepresented in Figures 6 and '1.

In the practice of my invention, I employ in the sheet 4 a compositionwhich will be acted upon by the semi-fluid plastic material in suchmanner as to produce a crinkling, puckering or like change in the sheetwhich will result in a unique surface design in the panel. Using astandard commercial grade of molding plaster, mixed with water to aboutthe consistency of a thick soup, I have obtained novel, unique andattractive designs through the medium of a commercial waxed paper foundupon examination to be a bleached sulphite paper, coated or impregnatedwith amineral, animal or vegetable wax. It is not considered essentialthat the paper be bleached, or of a particularly high grade, nor of thecomposition described. Any sheet material which will react as describedunder the influence of the semi-fluid plastic material during the periodof hardening may be employed in accordance with my invention toproducenovel, unique' and decorative designs for panels in accordancewith the embodiment of my invention disclosed.

Furthermore, I regard it as within the scope of my invention to employany element of whatever form that will undergo variation in shape orcontour under the iniluence of the semi-plastic being worked. Thus, Imay employ strips of material, threads or cords, images of objects whichupon distortion result in caricature effects, and similar differentelements to produce ornamentation in accordance with my invention.

The method of my invention also may be modiiied to produce designs onopposite sides of a panel at the same time by providing a. sheet of thechangeable material on the top as well as on the bottom of thesemi-fluid plastic mass with a backing element or means corresponding tothe base 2 over the sheet on the top, in order that the variations inform which the top sheet undergoes vmay be impressed in the top surfaceof the plastic material. Also, further novel'eects may be produced ifthe sheet of material is maintained under tension along one line so thatthe crinkling will take place in substantially parallel lines, in thedirection of the tension applied.

The decorative results so far described have been considered as producedin what otherwise would be a plain surface, corresponding to the surfaceof the base 2 of the box mold I. As a further modification of the methodof my invention, the base 2 may have a design of special larly strikingadvantages oi the method of ornamentation of my invention lies in thefact that the designs produced are different in each instance, thedeformations which the design-producing element undergoes beingunpredeterminable. In general, the design-producing element will be usedbut once; in the case of a paper or similar fragile material, theelement will ordinarily be destroyed in its removal from the hardenedplastic mass. In some circumstances the same element may be reused, butin no such case will an identical result be achieved as the elementundergoes additional deformations both in its removal from the firstunit and in the production of the second. Thus it is apparent that anin-y finite variety of designs are possible through the practice of themethod of ornamentation and with the apparatus of my invention.

Panels or other surfaces ornamented in accordance with my invention maybe used as produced, or the surface may be painted or colored as desiredfor further decorative effects, or for preservation, without destroyingthe ornamentation produced which will be evident through any suchsurface coating as may be employed.

Thus while I have disclosed my invention in a preferred embodiment andcertain modifications thereof, I desire it understood that furthermodications may be made, both in the practice of my invention and in theapparatus employed, and that no limitations upon my invention areintended except as may be imposed by the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is as follows:

1. The method of producing a unique and ornamental surface incementitious material which comprises placing on a rigid surface asubstantially smooth sheet of relatively thin dry material which willcrinkle or otherwise deform under the influence of a layer ofsemi-fluid, hardenable cementitious plastic material, tensioning saidsheet along one dimension only thereof, applying a layer of hardenable,cementitious plastic material in semi-duid condition to the sheet,allowing the plastic material to harden while maintaining said tension,and removing the hardened material from the sheet.

2. The method of producing a unique and ornamental surface incementitious material which comprises disposing a thin sheet ofrelatively dry,

deformable material which will crinkle or otherwise deform under theinfluence of a layer of semi-fluid, hardenable cementitious plasticmaterial between a rigid surface and a layer of hardenable,cementitious, plastic material in semifluid condition, tensioning saidsheet along one dimension only thereof, allowing the plastic material toharden while maintaining said tension and removing the rigid surface andsheet.

ALBERT N. WARD.

